Clemson, now ranked No. 3 in the nation, but Auburn provides a stiff test early in the season that will provide some insight on how the team will fair against top competition with Deshaun Watson and the countless other players who left for the NFL.

Clemson is built SEC-tough, with SEC parts.

Clemson and Auburn square off on Saturday in a game that could have playoff implications later in the season.

Kelly Bryant: That 27-yard keeper early in the second half for a touchdown was - dare we say it - a bit Deshaun Watson-like from Clemson's new starting quarterback.

Odds: Clemson is favored by 9 points. You'll see "Auburn 2.0" in Week 2. The Eagles had been over-playing the inside runs, and the buck sweep is a great constraint to stop that.

But they are at their best when it comes to football. The statement issued by Clemson urged fans to plan for potential delays driving to and from the game. It's now No. 1. That's about all you could ask for. "We are going to go out there and win games, and that is what this team is destined to do". Bryant stayed on the field for several minutes. He will need to prove he can make the right read and convert on third down.

Auburn and Clemson are both known for their high-powered offenses, but defenses ruled the day in tonight's showdown - and Clemson's emerged victorious.

Jarrett Stidham impressed as a part-time starting quarterback at Baylor, but his first game with the Tigers wasn't spectacular.

Bryant's playmaking ability with his feet opened up the passing game for Clemson, though not a strong one, as Byrant completed 19 of 29 passes for 181 yards.

Maybe the emergence of Williams, who had just two rushes for 17 yards vs. the Boilermakers, will help take pressure off Jackson in the way that Brandon Radcliff did past year, and defensively, there were the positives of North Carolina's two possessions when it was a five-point game in the fourth quarter ending on downs and with a forced fumble.

With Auburn's defense keeping the game from getting out of hand, there was indeed an opportunity for coach Gus Malzahn's side to turn the contest on its head late.

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